Lingerie clasp



@am 7 @2%. LSwM A. M. LAssEN LINGERIE CLASP Filed July 22, 1924 172 Aj-F5134 1N VENTR i ALMA /W/m/ELAASJEM stent et., i924.

i M. LASSEN, F NEW Y0 NLY.

Ganan eL'AsP.

Application tiled July 22,

To all lwhom it may eoncem.'

Be it known that I, ALMA MARIE LAssnN,

a citizen of the United States, residingat New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lingerie Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clasp devices and to a retaining clasp for lingerie straps and, more particularly, to a device which may be readily secured on the inner face of the shoulder portion of a dress and which will retain the straps'of lingerie or under garments on the shoulders of the wearer and concealed under the dress.

When lingerie or under garments having shoulder straps are worn the straps have a tendency to fall 0E from the shoulders and` 20 interfere with the movements of the arms,

and when worn under low necked or sleevelessdressesor waists become exposed and give an unsightly appearance. In order to insure the retention of the straps under the shoulders of the dress and on the shoulders of the wearer, it is necessary to secure the straps to the under surface of the dress in such a manner as to prevent theirsidewise movement and with a securing means which is inconspicuous and readily mountable and removable from the dress and which will permit the straps to be easily secured and' released.

An object of my present invention is to provide a metallic lingerie clasp of simple, unitary, structure, which may be readily and inconspicuously secured to the under seamy of the shoulder of the dress and which will retain the lingerie straps on the shoulder concealed beneath the dress while otherwise permitting freedom of movement between the dress and the straps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a secur' g clasp for closing a retaining loop forr shoulder straps which may be readl ily opened to receive or release the straps without danger of tearing the dress material and which may be readily closed.

Further objects of the invention are to to provide a Vsecuring clasp which may be stamped from a single, integral, piece of metal; in which the pin element may be easil fitted so which will hold straps in a dat position; and

as to be securely retained;v

1924. Serial No. 727,456.

`ing indicated in broken lines,

Fig. 2 is a bottomview of the clasp and of 70 a shoulder portion lof a dress on which the clasp is mounted,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view'of the dress and lthe clasp, taken on .line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the dress 75 and clasp taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig.,5 is across sectional view of the clasp Vtaken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and,

Fig. 6 is-a sectional view ofa portion of the clasp taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

' In lmy present invention, the lingerie straps are retained in a flat loop, formed preferably` of a single strip of met-al bent to form va bridge portion, closing onev end of the loop, and a pair of spaced fiat arms extendin ,towards an openable end of the loop throug which the straps may be inrted and removed. The openable end of the loop is held closed by a suitable spring contact closure, preferably comprising a pair of ears stamped `up from the metal of one arm of the loop and resiliently grasping the outer edges of the end portion of the other arm of the loop,l the ears being indented or notched to receive the side edges of the opposite arm. A pin for attaching thestrap retaining loop to the under side of the shoulder of the dress is so mounted on one arm of the l loop as toy extend lengthwise thereof and to be inserted vthrough the under seam of the shoulder of the dress and secured in a retainer formed on the opposite end ofthe loop arm by a suitable bending of the metal strip. The closure ears are preferably so arranged-4 as kto form a double lock for the pin 105 retainer. The pin is preferably mounted and secured on the loop structure by an interfitting construction which locks the pin in position by a bending o-r stamping operation.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the lingerie clasp of the present invention is provided with a metallic loop through which one or more lingerie straps 11 may extend and Which is secured to a shoulder seam 12 of a dress or Waist 13 by means of a pin 14 mounted on one side of the loop. The loop 1() is formed of a single strip of metal bent to form a pair of flat, parallel, arms 15 and 16, connected at one end b a bridge portion 17. The opposite end o the loop from the bridge portion 17 is openable to permit the lingerie straps to be inserted into the loop and may be closed to lock the straps therein by means of a pair of ears 18 and 19 stamped up from the sides of the arm 15 and bent to form notches 20 and 21, respectively, to receive the side edges of the end portion of the arm 16. The ears 18 and 19 are so stamped from the arm 15 that their outer surfaces lie in alignment with the edges of the arm 15, the arm 16 being notched at 22 and 23 to receive the l ears so that all portions of the clasp lie The' Within the outer edges of the arms. l free end of the arm 15 may be rounded inwardly as indicated at 24 to avoid any sharp edges in contact with the wearer.

To open the loop it is, accordingly, only necessary to pry open the free ends of the arms 15 and 16, which may be easily done by inserting the finger nail or thumb nail between the free ends of the arms, the opp'osite end of the loop being held by the opposite linger or thumb, the ears 18 and 19 having suiicient spring or resiliency to enable the arms to be readily pried loose but having sulicient stiHness to normally retain the arms in closed position when once closed. The arms 15 and 16 are approximately parallel and slightly spaced so that the straps 11 may slide lengthwise therethrough While held in a flat position and kept from twisting or curling.

The pin 14 is of such a form and construction that it may be readily inserted through an opening 25 in the bridge portion 17 of the loop and upon bending, or by suitably bending the arm of the loop, to lie along the length of the arm 16 ofthe loop, will be securely locked in position on the loop. For this purpose, the base of the pin is provided with a transverse bar 26 integral with the stem 27 of the pin and abutting and fitting against the inner surface of the bridge portion 17 when the stem of the pin is passed through the opening 25 from the inside of the loop, thus preventing the pin from being completely drawn through the opening 25. When the pin is bent, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3, to lie along the outer face of the arm 16, the bent portion 28 prevents the stem portion 27 of the pin from being pushed or pulled backwardly through neideae the opening 25. rllhe pin is thus positively and securely locked in the loop member by a simple bending operation that may be easily and cheaply performed, the transverse bar 26 lying tightly against the inner surface of the bri ge 'portion 17 also tending to hold the stem portion 27 of the pin along the center line of the arm 16.

ln mounting the loop 10 on the under surface of the shoulder of the dress, it is only necessary to insert the stem 27 of the pin lengthwise through the shoulder seam 12, the seam normally providing sufficient securing material so that there is no necessity of exposing the pin through the outer surface of the fabric. rllhe end of the pin is then caught under a retainer 29, formed by bending the metal of the arm 16 outwardly and backwardly, and slightly spaced from the outer surface of the arm, for a sucient distance to securely cover the end of the pin. rl`he retainer is preferably ridged upwardly slightly as at 30 to provide a central receiving nichefor the point of the pin. To provide suicient space for the material of the hem and at the same time enable the pin to be positioned very close to the arm 16, the arm is preferably provided with a central, longitudinal depression 31 forming a trough to receive the material of the seam immediately beneath the pin.

After the pin has been inserted through the seam 12, the end of the pin is given a sidewise movement, bringing it around and under the edge of the retainer 29 and then under the ridged portion 30. To more securely lock the pin under the retainer 29, the ears 18 and 19 are extended upwardly past the surface of the arm 16, as at 32 and 33, to the under surface of the receiver, thus forming a lock that positively prevents the f sidevvise displacement of the pin from under the receiver when the loop is closed.

The clasp may be mounted on'the dress either before or after the dress is on the wearer, but is more conveniently placed in position before the dress is donned. rlhen the straps may be slipped into position in the opened loop and, by pressing the arms 15 and 16 together, the loop is closed and locked, the rigid form of the loop causing the locking clasp to lock Without any special e'ort to bring the ends into exact alignment. When the straps are to be removed from the loop, the loop may be easily opened by prying loose the free ends of the loop arms, there being no danger of ripping the -dress by pulling the lower arm 15 free While holding the dress to which the upper arm 16 is secured. The pin arrangement provides a securing means that enables the clasp to be readily removed from the dress when the dress is to be Washed and to be easily and quickly replaced. The clasp may be made of any suitable metal and may be plat/ed or om ornamented and, pcd as des As changes of construction could be made within the scope'of my invention, it is desired that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is:

1. A device of the type described which comprises, a. loop having a pair of parallel arms, and a pair of ears on opposite edges of one arm at the open end o the loop extending to snap and engage the edges of the other arm of the loo at the open end of the loop and close said oop.

2, A device of the type described which comprises,l a loop having a pair of parallel arms, a pin retainer on the outer face of v the free end of one of said arms, a pair of ears on the opposite edges of the other arm at its free en extending to snap the free end of the iirst mentioned arm and to enga and close the sides of said .pin retainer,

- an a pin mounted on said loop to extend lengthwise of said first mentioned arm and be retained by said pin retainer.

3. A device of the type described'- which comprises, a strip of metal, bent to form a iiat, open ended loop, and a pin having a transverse stop element and a stem portion extending through an o 'in said strip of metal, said pin and said metal strip having relative bends to lock said pin in said loop and to lie along an outer face of the 4I.) A device of the type described which comprises,l a strip of metal beiit to form a dat loop having substantially parallel, spaced, sides, and open at one endz and having a reversely turned pin 1. 1| l. lip at said open end, and -a in ha bar withinthe cl end of pin extending through a hole in said loop and laiilong its outer ace to said pin retainingp.

5. A device of the type described which comprises, a strip of metal formed into a -ilat loop having substantially parallel 6. A device of the'type described which comprises, a strip of metal formed into a flat loop having substantially parallel, spaced sides and open at one end one ,end of said strip being bent backwardly above the corresponding face ofthe loop to form a pin retainer, a pair of ears formed on the other end of the strip to close the sides of said pin retainer and said loop, said ears bein grooved to snap against the side edges of t e opposite end of said strip, and the side edges against which said ears snap being notched to receive said ears, and a .pin having a transverse bar within one end of said loop and projecting through an opening in said loop to said pin retainer.

A device of the type described which comprises, a loop havin a pair ,of parallel arms, a pin retainer on t e outer face of the free end of one of said arms, a pair of ears on the o posite edges of one arm at'the open end of t `e loop extending to snap and engage the side edges of the other arm of the loopat its open end to close said loop, and a pin mounted on said loop to extend lengthwise of the arm having the pin retainer and to be retained by said in retainer.-

In testimony whereo I aiiix my signature.

ALMA M. LASSEN. 

